About the position

A new PhD fellowship in Reduced order models for wind simulations of wind power plant is available at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at NTNU from fall 2019. The successful candidate will be offered a three-year position. The Department may offer a twelve month extension as a teaching assistant. The work place will be Trondheim.

Main duties and responsibilities

Wind energy projects are today developed mainly as large wind farms or clusters of wind farms, e.g. Dogger Bank (UK) is being planned with four projects each rated 1200 MW offshore, and Fosen Wind (NO) is being constructed with six land-based wind farms totalling 1000 MW. Attention is on reducing costs and increasing profitability. This can be achieved through design optimization, but also by optimizing the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the wind power plant (WPP). The KPN-project OPWIND (cofunded by the Research Council of Norway and industrial partners) will develop knowledge and tools for O&M optimization, in particular focusing on optimizing the operational control of WPPs.

NTNU has a strategic collaboration agreement with SINTEF and DTU (Danish Technical University) and has established the Nordic Offshore Wind Research and Innovation Centre (NOWRIC). The NOWRIC Center is a solid platform for both academic and industrial collaboration. The present PhD project will be associated to the NOWRIC Center and will take advantage of collaboration with researchers at both NTNU, SINTEF and DTU Wind Energy.

Such optimization using state-of-the-art high-fidelity simulation tools is not convenient and efficient. There has also been an increasing demand of computationally efficient real-time simulation tools. To this end part of the current project focuses on developing Reduced Order Models (ROMs) for aerodynamic applications. The ROMs is expected to bridge the gap between high fidelity numerical simulations and industrial needs of computationally efficient tools. A ROMs approach consists of using results from high fidelity numerical simulations to construct what are called "Reduced Bases" which are used in an online simulation to solve similar problem with much fewer degrees of freedom. However, the success of such models depends on some questions which the PhD candidate along with experts in Computational Mathematics and Offshore Wind Technology will answer in the project. These questions are: How do we choose the simulation set-up for high fidelity simulations so that we span the solution space in an optimal way? Which method should be utilized to construct the reduced order basis for the flow dynamics, from which we can reconstruct the solution for a new scenario, based on available input conditions? What are relevant quality criteria for the ROM in the context of aerodynamics of wind turbines, and how can the approximation properties of the ROM be optimized?

Qualification requirements

We seek a highly motivated individual with good analytical and communication skills holding a Master’s degree in applied/numerical mathematics or corresponding education with a solid background in finite element analysis. Familiarity with atmospheric flow and fluid mechanics is an advantage. Applicants must have significant programming experience ideally in C, C++ and/or Python. Applicants are required to justify their candidateship by explicitly explaining their personal motivation and academic aptitude for pursuing a doctoral degree within this research field. Applicants that expect to complete their Master’s degree by spring 2019 can apply.

Academic results, publications, relevant specialization, work or research experience, personal qualifications, and motivation will be considered when evaluating the applicants.

The applicants who do not master a Scandinavian language must document a thorough knowledge of English (equivalent to a TOEFL score of 600 or more).

Applicants must have a Master’s degree in computational/numerical mathematics or corresponding education, and must also satisfy the requirement for entering the PhD programme at NTNU; please see http://www.ntnu.edu/ime/research/phd for information about the PhD programme at NTNU.

The regulations for PhD programmes at NTNU state that a Master’s degree or equivalent with at least five years of studies and an average grade of A or B within a scale of A-E for passing grades (A best) for the last two years of the MSc is required, and C or higher for the BSc. The successful candidate has also to fulfil the requirement for admission to PhD-programme at DTU which has similar requirements as stated for NTNU above.

The candidate for the position must be fluent in English, both oral and written.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant.

Personal characteristics

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 449 400 before tax per year. From the salary, 2 % is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The appointment of the PhD fellow will be made according to Norwegian guidelines for universities and university colleges and to the general regulations regarding university employees. Applicants must agree to participate in organized doctoral study programs within the period of the appointment and have to be qualified for the PhD-study
(see http://www.ntnu.edu/ime/research/phd ). A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months. For the requirements for the PhD-programme at DTU, see http://www.dtu.dk/english/education/phd/rules .

The position is of 3 years duration. During these, a stay of one year is required with the co-supervisor at the Danish Technical University (DTU) Wind Energy section. It is expected that the candidate will obtain a double doctorate degree from both NTNU and DTU jointly, according to the framework agreement of 4 January 2017.

The PhD fellow who speaks a Scandinavian language will be employed for 4 years with teaching and other duties of approximately 25% of the total available time. The PhD fellow who does not master a Scandinavian language will be offered a 3-year appointment.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criterias in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

For further information, please contact:

Professor Trond Kvamsdal (NTNU), Trond.Kvamsdal@ntnu.no , phone (+47) 9358702, or

Professor Adil Rasheed (NTNU), Adil.Rasheed@sintef.no

Professor Harald van Brummelen (TU Eindhoven), e.h.v.brummelen@tue.nl

Professor Niels N. Sørensen (DTU), nsqr@dtu.dk

About the application

The application must include the following:

• CV including information on educational background, work experience, preprints and publications
• A short research statement explaining the experience and the interest of the candidate for the research topic, and describing the relevance of the candidate’s background to the research project (maximum 1 page).
• A copy of the master thesis, for those who are near to completion of their MSc, an extended abstract combined with a statement of how and when the applicant plans to complete the thesis.
• Any relevant publications. Joint work will only be considered provided that a short summary outlining the applicant's contributions is attached.
• Certified copies of relevant transcripts and diplomas. Candidates from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a Diploma Supplement or similar documentation, which describes in detail the program of study, the grading system, and the rights to further studies associated with the degree obtained.
• Contact information for at least two references.
• Documentation of fluency in the English language.

Other documents which the applicant finds relevant may also be included. We may ask for further documents when it is necessary during the hiring process.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no, including the documents asked for above. Preferably, all attachments should be combined into a single file. Please refer to the application number 2019/12412 when applying.

Application deadline: 25.05.2019.

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Mathematical Sciences 

We are Norway’s largest university environment in mathematical sciences. The Department has a particular responsibility for all basis education in mathematical sciences for engineering and natural science students at NTNU. We focus on long-term basic research and applied research at a high international level. 

Our aim is to meet the society’s needs for mathematical and statistical expertise in business and public administration as well as in the research and education sector.  The Department of Mathematical Sciences is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering .